The Meaning of Isaiah 16:3 Explained

Isaiah 16:3

KJV: Take counsel, execute judgment; make thy shadow as the night in the midst of the noonday; hide the outcasts; bewray not him that wandereth.

YLT: Bring ye in counsel, do judgment, Make as night thy shadow in the midst of noon, Hide outcasts, the wanderer reveal not.

Darby: Bring in counsel, execute justice; make thy shadow as the night in the midst of noonday; hide the outcasts, discover not the fugitive.

ASV: Give counsel, execute justice; make thy shade as the night in the midst of the noonday; hide the outcasts; betray not the fugitive.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Take  counsel,  execute  judgment;  make  thy shadow  as the night  in the midst  of the noonday;  hide  the outcasts;  bewray  not him that wandereth. 

What does Isaiah 16:3 Mean?

Chapter Summary: Isaiah 16

1  Moab is exhorted to yield obedience to the throne of David
6  Moab is threatened for her pride
9  The prophet bewails her
12  The judgment of Moab

What do the individual words in Isaiah 16:3 mean?

- Take counsel execute judgment Make like the night your shadow in the middle of the day Hide the outcasts him who escapes not do betray
[הביאו] (הָבִ֤יאִי) עֵצָה֙ עֲשׂ֣וּ פְלִילָ֔ה שִׁ֧יתִי כַלַּ֛יִל צִלֵּ֖ךְ בְּת֣וֹךְ צָהֳרָ֑יִם סַתְּרִי֙ נִדָּחִ֔ים נֹדֵ֖ד אַל־ תְּגַלִּֽי

[הביאו]  - 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperative, masculine plural
Root: אֵב  
Sense: freshness, fresh green, green shoots, or greenery.
(הָבִ֤יאִי)  Take 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperative, feminine singular
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
עֵצָה֙  counsel 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: עֵצָה 
Sense: counsel, advice, purpose.
עֲשׂ֣וּ  execute 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine plural
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
פְלִילָ֔ה  judgment 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: פְּלִילָה  
Sense: office of judge or umpire.
שִׁ֧יתִי  Make 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, feminine singular
Root: שִׁית  
Sense: to put, set.
כַלַּ֛יִל  like  the  night 
Parse: Preposition-k, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: לַיִל 
Sense: night.
צִלֵּ֖ךְ  your  shadow 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, second person feminine singular
Root: צֵל  
Sense: shadow, shade.
בְּת֣וֹךְ  in  the  middle 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: תָּוֶךְ  
Sense: midst, middle.
צָהֳרָ֑יִם  of  the  day 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: צֹהַר 
Sense: noon, midday.
סַתְּרִי֙  Hide 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Imperative, feminine singular
Root: סָתַר  
Sense: to hide, conceal.
נִדָּחִ֔ים  the  outcasts 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Participle, masculine plural
Root: נָדַח 
Sense: to impel, thrust, drive away, banish.
נֹדֵ֖ד  him  who  escapes 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: נָדַד  
Sense: to retreat, flee, depart, move, wander abroad, stray, flutter.
תְּגַלִּֽי  do  betray 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Imperfect, second person feminine singular
Root: גָּלָה  
Sense: to uncover, remove.